|
(11) | EP 0 488 927 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (54) | Reducing motor for the elevation of blinds and awnings |
| (57) The reducing motor forms an operating unit which includes a general air tight frame
(1), inside which a DC motor (3) is installed. At the outlet of this reducing motor
there is a first reducing pitch (4,5) with turn reduction, made up of a series of
connections. The last one of these connections is installed at the end of a spiral
conveyor (6) connected to an outlet crown (7), and acts as a second reducing pitch
and as increaser of the outlet torque. The unit also includes a programming disk (9)
to memorize the limits of ends of travel of the outlet axle, to rotate in either direction
the winding/unwinding tube of the blind or awning to which the said unit is attached,
so that this unit is placed on the outside. |
[0001] The present invention is about a reducing motor for the elevation of blinds and awnings, which has been designed to make up what, as a whole, could be said to be a more efficient and rational operating unit than the ones offered by other systems with a similar object.
[0002] Blinds and awnings are usually elevated and lowered either using a tape which winds and unwinds around the blind or awning's axle, or using a lever which activates the corresponding device which acts upon that winding/unwinding axle or drum. These systems are clearly not very comfortable for the user, since they require a manual action to be kept up during all the process of raising and/or lowering the corresponding blind or awning.
[0003] Nevertheless, there are also some systems based on the working of a motor placed inside the tube which acts as winding and unwinding axle, in such a way that, apart from all the problems that stem from the above mentioned internal installation, no adequate results have been achieved regarding functionality-especially from the point of view of an optimum size/power ratio, and the way to obtain a graduation of the ends of travel, apart from the fact that every installation only admits the assembly of a particular system which would be made up by the motor and all the other elements needed to transmit the motor's rotation to the winding and unwinding axle or tube.
[0004] The object of the present invention is to solve all these problems using a solution based upon a simple, efficient and extremely versatile operating device.
[0005] More specifically, the above mentioned reducing motor or operating unit - which is the object of the present invention - includes an electric motor which transmits its rotation to the winding tube through a series of pinions, spiral conveyor and crown. It is attached to this tube by a bi-pyramidal-trunk element which allows both ends to be adjusted and attached, which, naturally, allows two axles or tubes - placed one in front of the other and belonging to two different systems of blinds or awnings, - to be attached to them.
[0006] The operating unit includes a frame inside which all the necessary elements are installed, including the above mentioned electric motor which supplies the leading power required to move the elements attached to the operating unit in both directions. This motor's revolutions are reduced through a series of cylindrical, helicoidal and straight connections which, combined with a spiral conveyor and an outlet crown, provide an increase in the torque in that outlet, as well as a complete mechanical stability and firmness, preventing forces foreing to the operating unit from altering the unit's position.
[0007] A programming disk is also included. This disk is designed to limit automatically the number of times the operating unit must turn in each direction. This programming disk is made up of two series of toothed disks linked to their corresponding micro-switches and hair springs for resetting, as well as two cams columns and a supporting plate for the unit.
[0008] The programming disk memorizes the travel limits through some position activators made up by two control units placed on one of the sides of the operating unit, in such a manner that half a turn of each of these control units makes the programming disk memorize the travel limits; that is to say, both limit positions of the operating unit's exit axle are memorized.
[0009] The electronic components are placed in a printed circuit, together with the micro-switches connections, the motor connection and the external supply line connection.
[0010] The above described operating unit can be controlled by a combined double commutator switch that can be activated by the user.
[0011] Thanks to the already mentioned basic characteristics, the following advantages - among many others - are achieved:
- The motor is installed on the outside of the winding tube, unlike what happens in conventional motors, which are installed inside the tube.
- Simple and easy graduation of ends of travel.
- It is designed to be adapted to conventional blinds and awnings already installed, without having to change the winding tube.
- It can be assembled or adapted to either end of the winding tube.
- It can be used to activate two different winding tubes, one in front of the other.
- It offers an optimum size/power ratio, compared to the one offered by other units available in the market.
- It can absorb deflections from the winding tubes. The winding tube goes through a bi-pyramidal trunk part with square basis, thus allowing the unit to absorb any possible bending (deflection) which the weight may cause.
- In order to facilitate the understanding of the invention's characteristics, there follows a complete description, referring to the set of plans attached - which are an integral part of this description. These plans represent, with an indicative, and not limitative, character, the following:
[0012] Figure 1 shows a view of the device's reducing motor, without one of the two parts of the frame.
[0014] As these figures show, the operating unit or the reducing motor itself is formed by an outer frame (1), made up of two symmetrical covers made of a light weight alloy, attached to each other by screws (2). In between these two covers there is a gastight seam situated in a perimetric cleavage - placed in the above mentioned covers for that purpose. All these elements conform a self-portable, gastight and robust unit.
[0015] The electric motor (3) - small in size and with a high output - is placed inside the frame (1). It runs on DC, and has a high starting torque and a simple manoeuvre to change the direction of its operation, which offers various different connections depending on the power to be developed for each application.
[0016] The outlet the above mentioned motor (3) has a pinion (4) which is a part of a series of cylindrical, helicoidal and straight connections (5). The said connections (4, 5) act as reduction pitches, with the first connection or pinion (4) with helicoidal tooth minimizing the amount of noise generated by the high revolutions of the motor (3), outlet, while the straight toothed connections (5) achieve a higher efficiency at a higher torque. The last pinion (4) or crown of these connections (5) is directly linked to a spiral conveyor (6), which is connected to an outlet crown (7).
[0017] These parts - the spiral conveyor (6) and the crown (7) - make up a third reduction pitch, of high reduction ratio. They are assembled on ball thrust bearings in order to avoid losses due to friction - given the loads the spiral conveyor (6) and the crown (7) must bear; the former axially, because of the high torque it transmits, and the latter radially, on the outlet axle of the operating unit. The coupling of the spiral conveyor (6) and the crown (7), also ensures the non return function of the system, preventing any external force from moving the equipment's resting position, which gives it a high mechanical stability and solidness.
[0018] The unit also includes a programming disk and some position activators, as well as a printed circuit (8) for the electronic components and the control units of the operating unit itself.
[0019] The programming disk includes a series of toothed disks (9), some micro-switches (10), hair springs (11) for resetting, two cams columns (12) and a support plate for the whole unit.
[0020] The position activators are made up of two control units (13) which 180°C turn will memorize, in the programming disk, the position in which the outlet axle of the operating unit is at that moment, thus determining the ends of travel.
[0021] This means that, given the operating unit's application, it is necessary to have automatic stops at both ends of the travel, and therefore they must be defined when the unit is installed, or modified afterwards. It is a simple and quick operation, which does not require to work on the internal part of the unit. When the unit is activated for the first time, there is no limit established for the number of times the operating unit must turn; therefore, the user simply has to activate the control switch in one of the two directions until the desired position is reached. Once this is done, the position is memorized by rotating the corresponding button or control unit (13) half a turn. To memorize the other end, activate the control switch in the opposite direction until the new position is reached, and then turn the second button or control unit (13); from now on, the ends of travel are established, and therefore the device will stop automatically when either of these two positions is reached.
[0022] It works as follows: To determine the operating unit's ends of travel, there are two micro-switches (10) (one for each direction) which cut the motor's (3) power supply. Each micro-switch (10) is equipped with a shiftable cams column (12), which, when in its resting position, rests on the micro-switch's (10) tongue (14), which means that they are on a conduction position. The operating unit can, therefore, work in both directions and with no end of travel when it is activated from the control unit.
[0023] In the above mentioned resting position, the columns (12), which have a toothed wheel, do not receive the movement of rotation that comes from the outlet crown (7), as they are not connected to the previous toothed wheel.
[0024] The outlet crown (7) has a concentric integral toothed wheel in one of its necks in such a way that, when it turns, so does the other toothed wheel placed on the side, since it is permanently connected to the crown's wheel. This wheel is common to the other two pairs of wheels (two in each cams column). The object of these two series of toothed wheels is to reduce the number of times the crown (7) turns, and to achieve only one revolution in the cams column (12), which establishes the system's maximun shift.
[0025] The above mentioned columns (12) are equipped with a hair spring (11) which makes them rotate on their axle until they reach a stop placed in the column's lower, which is its resting position. A central toothed wheel, aligned with the micro-switch (10), has a slot in it which means that in its resting position the micro-switch is free, but not free enough to disconnect it electrically. Since the corresponding column (12) has shifted, the micro-switch's (10) tongue (14) is pressed down.
[0026] At the beginning, both cams columns (12) are resting, shifted towards their corresponding micro-switches (10) and, therefore, disconnected from their toothed wheels and not receiving any movement which could come from the outlet crown (7). In this situation, the operating unit does not have any ends of travel.
[0027] In order to establish the first end of travel of the operating unit, the control unit must be activated in one of its directions, ad when the desired position is reached, the corresponding button (13) must be rotated half a turn. This means that inside the operating unit there is a shift in the cams column (12), which separates it from the micro-switch (10) and thus interrupts the electric circuit, and also approaches it to the reducer's toothed wheel, connecting them. The stop position is now established, starting from this point, and the operating unit can only be activated in the opposite direction. When this happens, the column that has been previously adjusted will accumulate the number of turns that occur in the opposite direction, until it reaches the other desired limit. The position of the second column can be memorized by rotating the second button (13) at that moment.
1°. Reducing motor for the elevation of blinds and awnings, made up of an operating unit
with an electric motor which operates on DC, in which outlet a reducing device has
been fitted. This reducing device in made up of a series of cylindrical (helicoidal
and straight) connections, the last one of which is placed at the end of a spiral
conveyor connected to an outlet crown of the torque, in such a manner that the spiral
conveyor and the crown act as a second reduction pitch. This second reduction pitch
is characterised because it includes a programming disk to limit automatically the
number of times it must turn in both directions. This is programmed using a couple
of position activators made up of two manually operated buttons; their rotation establishes
the ends of travel of the operating unit's outlet axle, as well as its memorization
on the above mentioned programming disk. The unit is supplemented by a printed circuit
as a support element for the various electronic components.
2°. Reducing motor for the elevation of blinds and awnings, according to claim 1, characterized
because its programming disk is made up of two shiftable cams columns, some toothed
disks, a couple of micro-switches and two hair springs for resetting. These springs
are linked to the cams columns, and act upon them to turn their axle until a stop
established in one of them is reached, which corresponds to their resting position.
The unit is designed so that the micro-switches' tongues are placed one in front of
the other and, in the resting position, in a slot in the corresponding toothed wheels
of the cams columns.
3°. Reducing motor for the elevation of blinds and awnings, according to previous claims,
characterized because it comprises a part made up of two pyramidal trunk parts with
square basis which, in its connection with the transmitting or winding tube of the
blind or awning, absorbs the tube's deflections due to its weight.
4°. Reducing motor for the elevation of blinds and awnings, according to previous claims,
characterized because the unit is placed in a frame made up of two symmetrical parts,
one in front of the other and fixed to each other by means of screws.